Using cutting-edge biologging and physiological tools to map environmental sensitivities in the Arctic: application to shipping associated with Baffinland Mines

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Resource development in Canada's North has the potential to benefit all Canadians. However, extracting and transporting Canadian resources in a manner that respects environmental, economic and social complexities can be challenging. In the Arctic, increased shipping and associated industrial activities provide economic potential, but it is essential that such activities minimize environmental risks. Miniature biologgers and state-of-the art physiological assays can be combined with individual-based modeling to estimate population and landscape levels threats to sensitive species. Such estimates, generated via novel statistical techniques, can then create risk maps that can inform environmental impact assessments and can be used to minimize the impacts of shipping. At the same time, resource development can also impact terrestrial birds, but these impacts are hard to assess for species that are distributed sparsely across the tundra. Baffinland Mines, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is one of the world's leading iron mine companies. Baffinland is currently operating the Mary River Mine, for which it has developed an Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan as part of their Final Environmental Impact Statement. As part of the statement, Baffinland is required to monitor impacts on seabirds. Of particular importance is the thick-billed murre, the most abundant seabird in the Canadian Arctic, of which hundreds of thousands are harvested traditionally each year and whose eggs are an important component of Inuit traditional harvests. Shorebird species, such as red knots, are also key species, but are difficult to monitor because they are distributed sparsely. The techniques we develop will help Baffinland implement their Plan, and will also be essential for their ongoing monitoring. These novel techniques will help Baffinland provide state-of-the art environmental impacts, thereby generating billions of dollars in revenue for a Canadian company while meeting and exceeding their expectations in terms of environmental responsibility.